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Daycare center puts focus on learning

Play and Learn will open May 1, open house set for Saturday

Owning a daycare wasnt something Lori Goodwin envisioned herself doing. As a mother of three teenage girls and with a career in real estate, its not a field she knew a lot about. But after a few months of consideration  and the desire to find a way to give back to the community  its where she finds herself now.

Were good at business in my family weve been here forever, pretty much for 70 years, weve been here doing business, raising families, its just home for us, Goodwin said. We were looking for a good community-based business and we bought this building two years ago. We didnt want to lease it, but didnt know what we wanted to do with it. Walking through it nine months ago and I thought, You know somebody should open a daycare, and (my husband) goes, Yeah, you should.

After a little persuading, she agreed and spent the past six months renovating the space at 141 N. Elliot Road to create Play and Learn Daycare.

This kind of center is just a special little niche. We dont have lot of choices (in Newberg), she said. I was fortunate to keep my babies home with me, so when I started looking, researching, really you have in-home daycare, which is a good fit for a lot of people, then have the larger centers, but not really anything in between.

Play and Learn can take care of 6-week-old infants up to school age (5 or 6).

We could actually have up to 45 kids, but 28 is kind of where we were comfortable, Goodwin said.

The center has three separate spaces, divided by age, an outdoor play area and a classroom, among other rooms still awaiting finishing touches.

We are a day care, not a preschool, but were following the same curriculum as the schools (creative curriculum), so our kids dont have to leave to go to school  theyll be kindergarten ready, she said. I learned so much, I thought if I had all this knowledge when I was raising my kids, theyd be so smart.

Each room is furnished and ready for the open house April 19, but theres one aspect Goodwin said she isnt sure about.

We dont have computers yet, and I dont know how I feel about that, because everybody has handhelds, even the babies, she said. I thought parents work all day, at 5 p.m. they probably have to get home, make dinner, (the kids are) probably set down and handed stuff like that. So were going to try and avoid it here.

The open house will take place from noon to 4 p.m., with the official opening date May 1. For more information, visit her website at www.playandlearnnewberg. com.